Punjab government today said it has booked four vendors for selling e-cigarettes and nicotine in chemical form and for violating the directive issued by the state government to make the state tobacco free.
The four vendors who have been booked are located in Ludhiana, Hoshiarpur and Mohali districts, said an official spokesman.
Commissioner FDA and Punjab Secretary Health and Family Welfare Hussan Lal said the cases were registered against two vendors in Ludhiana and one each in Mohali and Hoshiarpur.
They have been booked under various sections of Drugs and Cosmetics Act.
Punjab had already announced to declare e-cigarettes (Electronic Nicotine Delivery System) as illegal under The Drugs and Cosmetics Act, he said.
Lal said as many as 20 districts of the state have already been declared tobacco free in Punjab.
Ajay Singla, State Drug Controller, Punjab said e-Cigarettes contain nicotine in chemical form which is "lethal and addictive chemical".
Under Drugs and Cosmetics Act, Nicotine is allowed to be manufactured only as nicotine gums or lozenges 2mg and 4mg.
"Every other product which contained nicotine is illegal," he said.
"Punjab is the only state where implementation of Drugs and Cosmetics Act, Food Safety & Standard Act of India and Cigarette and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA) was being monitored monthly at state level," Rakesh Gupta, State Programme Officer, State Tobacco Control Cell, Punjab said.
